


Nomad Odyssey

by Joester264



Series: Odyssey [1]
Category: Halo (Video Games) & Related Fandoms, Mass Effect Trilogy, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Star Wars - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-09-25 01:09:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 21,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17111603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joester264/pseuds/Joester264
Summary: Spartans 264 (Joe), 344 (Bryn), 400 (Paul), and 602 (Sam), are called into action when the human terrorist group known as Cerberus attacks a research outpost on Sidney III. Taking a stealth corvette known as a Prowler, Spartan Fireteam Saber, along with ODST Captain Rex, Medical Officer Lexi T'Perro, and spec ops Commander Iden Versio, rush to intercept the assailants. During the action, Saber runs into a nineteen-year-old named May Haruka, who is traveling across the planet in a quest for experience. A key to possibly the most advanced technology in the galaxy comes to the mötley crew, and they are sent on a galactic journey to keep Cerberus and other parties from using it. This journey is known as the Nomad Odyssey.





	1. Chapter 1

This is Spartan-264 or Joe. I am recording this entry just in case I die and someone finds this on my corpse, for posterity I guess. Hopefully, it’s not too gruesome. Anyway, things have been crazy these past few weeks and coming from a Spartan-III, that’s saying something. When this all started I didn’t think I’d be stuck on a Halo, defending a creature made by the Forerunners… I’m getting ahead of myself. I mean, where do I even begin without telling the whole story? I’ve got the time; might as well use it. Okay, here’s where it all started.

December 8, 2187: a day that I will not soon forget. It started like any other day on a Strident-class frigate: with the crew waking me up. Not on purpose; they’d walk by, talking, laughing, or just taking heavy footsteps. Some days, I’d be okay with the sounds of the crew. That day, however, wasn’t one of them.  
We had just come back from a rather difficult mission on a planet in the middle of nowhere, fighting off Banished forces. The Banished, the galaxy’s latest alien scourge, was trying to set up supply lines on H4-11. The planet didn’t even have a real name--just a string of numbers. We busted our backs trying to keep it clear. It took UNSC forces three weeks to finally push the Banished off it, but they didn’t give it up without a fight. Scarabs, 159 ft walking death machines, were thrown at us, forcing Saber and me to board them and destroy the hulking monsters from the inside. On top of that, artillery kept striking at us, forcing us to keep moving from foxhole to foxhole. When we finally pushed them back, Saber and I were struggling to even stay on our feet.  
I tossed around in my bunk, putting a pillow over my head to try to deafen the laughter of a rowdy serviceman.  
Spartans rarely got more than a few hours of sleep when on the front. When we do get a chance to sleep longer, it’s always ruined either by an alarm or by a sailor who didn’t know when to shut up.  
I tried to fall back into that sweet state of unconsciousness, but by the time I could feel myself drifting off, a sharp banging on the door snapped me out of it.  
“Saber, up and at ‘em,” a voice barked.  
I let out a long sigh, running my face over my hands. “Come on, Rex. Five more minutes.”  
Captain Cody Rex, the commanding officer of the 501st Marine Battalion, was one of those who liked starting the day early. Saber was placed under his command about four months ago. Unlike most marine captains I knew, Rex cared about his men. He knew he couldn’t save all of them, and he even sent his men to certain death to cover others making a retreat. He made sacrifices to protect his men, and that earned the loyalty of those under his command, including Saber.  
Bryn, who slept in the bunk under me, yawned. “Rex, I am not getting out of this bunk until I’m good and ready.”  
There was another series of thumps on the door. “Saber, you have one minute to get your genetically-enhanced butts out here. Now move it, Commander Versio needs to see you.”  
Sam let out a small groan as he rolled out of his bunk on the other side of the room. Paul, who was above him, sat up, shaking his head. “Just once, I’d like to sleep in for a good hour. Is that too much to ask?”  
Sam threw his pillow at Paul. The pad slammed into the wall, missing him. “You sleep every chance you get! How many times have you dozed off on the Pelican?”  
Paul tossed the pillow back at Sam and hit him in the head with pinpoint accuracy. Paul’s sniper skills never failed.  
Bryn, still refusing to get up, growled. “What does the Commander want? Spent the last few weeks on a mud planet, getting bombarded by bloody Brutes in the pouring rain. All I want is to rest for a little bit more.”  
I climbed out of my bunk and stood over her. “Get up, Spartan. You’ve survived worse.”  
Bryn might’ve been reluctant to listen to Rex’s wake-up call, but she didn’t hesitate when it came to my orders. She sat up and got on her feet, then went over to her footlocker and grabbed a shirt to put over her tank top.  
I reached into my own locker and pulled out a UNSC cap. It was a faded dark gray hat that had signs of being worn too often. I wore it every time I was off duty; I liked it. It was kind of like a stuffed animal to a young child because I took it everywhere with me. Even when I was on the frontlines, or behind enemy territory, I had that hat safely tucked away in my bag. I didn’t think of it as a good luck charm; I know better than to rely on luck when taking cover behind a crumbling barrier as plasma rounds flew way too close for comfort. I just thought of it as something that was mine that wasn’t made to kill something.  
I fixed the hat on to my head as the third set of knocks sounded from the door.  
“Thirty seconds, Spartans.”  
Bryn sighed. “Rex! For crying out loud, we’re coming!”  
There was a muffled chuckle from the captain, obviously enjoying teasing us.  
Sam went up to Bryn and ruffled her hair, apparently trying to cheer her up. Bryn pushed his hand away, not wanting her hair touched right now.

Rex was still waiting outside the door, arms folded behind his back. His hair was a buzz cut of blonde and was stern looking. He was in his pressed fatigues, hands behind his back, and had a grim look on his face. Usually, when he came directly to us, something important was about to go down. Not even a full day has passed since we got back from the front and Saber was already getting sent back out.  
I nodded. “What suicide mission you got for us this time?”  
Rex smirked a little, so I guess the mission lined up for us wasn’t going to be damn near impossible. Then, that smirk went away. “It’s best if I let the commander tell you.”  
He gestured us to follow him down the hallway wanting to get things underway immediately.  
As we followed him, some of the crew greeted us. An engineer named Devous held a fist up to us. “Ah, mon amis, good morning, eh?”  
Sam pounded Devous’ fist with his own, and the five of us continued down the halls towards a briefing room. Most of the Apache crew knew us, even with our time on the ship being less than a year. They'd say good morning to us or ask how many kills we had in total. It was nice to be starting to fit in on the frigate. All the marines stationed on the ship knew that they could depend on Saber with their lives.  
“Ah! Spartans!” A voice cried out behind us. The four of us turned to see who it was, but judging from the Swiss accent, it was highly probable that it was the chief medical officer: Angela Ziegler. She headed towards us, sidestepping out of the way of some technicians on their way to the lower decks. When Ziegler caught up to us, she had a radiating smile.  
“There you are! I have some good news.”  
Rex gave Ziegler an annoyed look, eager to get us to Commander Versio. “Can’t this wait, Ziegler? I’ve got to get the Spartans to the commander.”  
The doctor brought up her datapad, finger swiping across it very quickly as she pulled up what she wanted us to see. “This won’t take long, Captain. I promise.”  
Ziegler then handed the data pad to me. I looked on its screen to see what the big deal was. On it was the headline, “Spartan Heroes Push Back Invading Forces!”  
It was an article by a war reporter stationed on H4-11 during the fighting. Below the headline was a picture of Bryn, Paul, Sam, and I running across the battlefield, weapons firing. Plumes of mud that were due to the mortars going off around us seemed to frame the picture well.  
I gave a quick nod. “Wow. Guess we’re heroes.”  
The doctor chuckled, appreciative that I saw the article.  
Rex cleared his throat. “Spartans?”  
I handed the pad back to Ziegler. “Thanks for showing me that, doc! See you around.”  
She waved back. “A pleasure as always, Spartan!”

Rex took us to the briefing room, a small room where we’d received details on new missions. Inside was a long table and five chairs that surrounded it. In the center of it was a holoprojector that would be used if any visuals needed to be shown. The room was dark as space itself, and the only light came from one lamp that hung over the table. At the end of the table sat Iden Versio, looking stoic and unwavering. That confirmed my suspicions: we were being sent out. Again.  
“Have a seat, Spartans. We don’t have much time. Rex, you might as well listen in on this too.”  
There was someone else in the room as well. Sitting next to Versio was Lexi T’Perro, another doctor stationed on the frigate. T’Perro was the only non-human on board: she was an Asari. When the asari started joining the UNSC armed forces a couple of years ago, there was somewhat of an indifference towards them posted in the navy. Now, any asari who had naval experience from the Asari Republics got positioned for work in critical fleets; they were top-notch strategists. Lexi had been a doctor for about ten years when she joined the UNSC, and thanks to her knowledge of procedures for almost every advanced species in the galaxy, she has become a real asset to the Apache.  
Lexi, just like Rex and Versio, looked grave. I had questions, but I knew they were about to be answered in only a few minutes.  
The commander stood up, her dark hair tied into a bun, and let out a long sigh. “Almost twelve hours ago, a UNSC research outpost located on Sidney III was raided. Everyone--the scientists, security, and even the custodial staff--was slaughtered.”  
That explained the grim expressions that they had on.  
“Security camera footage revealed the assailants as Cerberus. At 23:00 local time, they detonated a charge on the front gate and moved in. A few minutes later, Doctor Cory Peterson sent out this transmission.”  
Static played over speakers in the room as the now late Doctor breathlessly called for help.  
“This is Outpost Triton of Sidney III! A Cerberus assault team is attacking us! They’re in the labs now, grabbing all of our research! They must be after what we found in the Marx Ocean! If anyone can hear me, please send...”  
A series of gunshots cut him off, and the static silenced. The commander activated the holoprojector and pulled up images of the aftermath of the assault. The dome-shaped building of the outpost had a giant hole in the roof with smoking pouring out of it. One picture showed the carnage inside: bodies in the hallway with pools of red underneath them. One of the soldiers who had been investigating the attack had blood soaking his feet. Rooms had been riddled with bullet holes and scorch marks.  
“What did they find that provoked Cerberus into this attack?” I asked.  
Iden typed on the control board for the projector, bringing up an image of a small, egg-shaped, blue object. In the center of it, there was a little red gem, with a circle of smaller gold balls above it, almost like an angel’s halo.  
“This was what the scientists dredged out of the Marx. They weren’t sure of what it was, only that it was organic. I guess it was worth killing over for Cerberus.”  
Bryn grunted. “So we’re gonna track down the sorry bastards that attacked the outpost?”  
The commander once again typed on the console. “ONI operatives, who responded quickly to the distress signal, were able to find a Cerberus convoy moving on old logging roads that aren’t used anymore.”  
Three white armored trucks with gold stripes were displayed, as well as two APCs with mounted cannons.  
“They’ve figured out where Cerberus is heading--an extraction point. A Cerberus stealth frigate was their ride out, but thanks to Anti-Orbital Defences, that frigate is now slag. The Cerberus convoy, however, does not know that they’re stuck on Sidney III. Your job, Spartans, is simple: ambush the convoy and retrieve the package. Leave no witnesses.”  
I looked to my team , and they all had a cold determination on their faces. Jobs like these were what we trained to do. For us, this was why we were valued resources. Anyone who screws with the UNSC gets what they deserve--a quick, yet powerful, kick in the balls.  
I looked back to the commander and gave the nod. “We’ll take care of them, ma’am.”  
Rex stepped forward. “How could Cerberus landed a whole convoy without alerting our scanners?”  
“Technicians planetside discovered some sabotage in the capital of New Oceanside. One of the workers had been bribed to disable the scanners so that the frigate could land the assault force. Thankfully, the systems were restored and that worker was arrested.”  
Lexi shook her head in disgust. “I hope that worker gets what’s coming to him.”  
The commander turned off the projector, then put her arms behind her back again. “As Sidney III’s governor wants as little military force present in apprehending Cerberus, we’ll be taking a Prowler stealth corvette to our destination.”  
Saber and I looked at each other. We?  
“You’re coming with us, Commander?”  
She nodded. “As well as Rex and Lexi. We’re not going to be traveling by Pelican; that’ll take too long. Our ride will be the UNSC Nomad. Captain Fawkes was kind enough to lend us his girl, and he’ll be watching over ours. Now everyone grab your gear; we leave in one hour.”  
At 0945, Saber, Captain Rex, Doctor Lexi T’Perro, Commander Iden Versio, and I entered the Prowler and disembarked on our mission for retribution.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team lands on Sydney III and discusses how they are going to strike at Cerberus.

The Nomad was a smaller ship compared to the other vessels I’ve seen in my time. She was so little that it would only take the commander to pilot her. A Virtual Intelligence operated navigation, basic maintenance, and engineering. That meant the rest of us just sat around and waited.  
It took about twelve hours to reach Sidney III, but ONI had captured the Cerberus vessel’s captain and ‘persuaded’ him to tell the convoy to extract at a new location--the Sanctuary Woods. The forest was thick with conifers, making it a fantastic place for an ambush.  
The plan was simple: As the convoy would come through, Sam would roll under and place an emp charge on the lead truck, causing it to halt the others. When the Cerberus forces come out to see what the problem was, Paul, Bryn, and I would catch them in a crossfire. Rex would be staying back to pick off any survivors who somehow managed to escape our hail of bullets. When all hostiles are down, we’d move in, grab the package, and bang out. In my mind, this was a textbook example of kicking trash.

The Nomad settled down in a clearing, about five miles south from the road we’d be attacking. I looked out one of the viewports and saw only trees carpeting the landscape. There was an eerie fog that crept through the woods like a phantom. The sky was a depressing gray, due for the overcast weather. In the corner of my eye, I saw a flock of birds skim the treetops, then landed in one of them.  
Lexi stood next to me and shivered. “This looks like a scene from a cheap horror movie.”  
I nodded in agreement. “Wouldn’t be surprised if there were a couple of werewolves running around out there.”  
“Or an ardat-yakshi. I watched a vid that had one roaming the woods looking for lost souls to feed on.”  
“Was it any good?”  
Lexi shrugged her shoulders. “Eh, it had a good story, but I feel like the scenes that were meant to frighten the audience lacked the surprise element. You could see the scare scenes coming from a mile away.”  
A hand grabbed Lexi’s shoulder, making her let out a startled yell. I turned to see that Sam had crept up behind us and given Lexi a good scare. Sam started to laugh, breathlessly trying to say, “Did you see that coming?”  
The Asari quickly became furious, folding her arms as her face grew purple with rage. “We’ll see who’s laughing when I shove the dullest needle I have up your...”  
“It’s no use, T’Perro,” I said, trying to prevent an incident, “that’s just going to encourage him.”  
She let out a frustrated growl and stomped off towards the medical bay.  
Sam threw up his hands. “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t miss that opportunity. It was just too good.”  
I smiled. “I’ll admit, Lexi did scream like a schoolgirl.”  
“I heard that!” Lexi yelled before entering the med-bay.  
Sam let out a small chuckle, satisfied with his work. “Ah, she’ll be fine.”  
Almost instantly, Commander Versio called all of us into the mess hall to discuss the fine details of the little ‘surprise’ that we had cooking for the Cerberus convoy. Sam and I just watched as the doctor made it very clear she was still pissed when we walked past her towards the meeting.

 

We all gathered around a table, everyone eager to get things going. The commander gave all of us a look before she started with the brief.  
“The Sanctuary Woods, although it might look that way, isn’t empty of life. There are records of predators that like to hunt at the time the mission will begin. Adding to that, be on the lookout for any antelope-looking animals; they’re easily startled and prefer to fight rather than flight. The governor wishes that we don’t kill any animals here since Sidney III has a variety of species that brings in the tourists.”  
Rex stepped forward. “I’ve contacted the ONI operative spying on the caravan. She says the Cerberus troops are getting suspicious. They’re gonna be on high alert, so there’s no chance of mistakes.”   
Bryn raised her hand. “Have we figured out which vehicle has the package?”  
“As best as she can tell, it’s in the one in the middle. Two armed guards are watching over it with orders not to leave its side.”  
Paul smirked. “Just two?”  
“We also have to fight a whole platoon of soldiers.” Versio reminded him.  
Sam was looking uneasy. He had his arms folded tight across his chest, tapping his fingers against his bicep. I’ve seen that pose hundreds of times before: he didn’t like the plan.  
“Sam,” I whispered, “what is it?”  
He leaned in close to me, speaking in a hushed tone. “Cerberus is always in contact with each other during strikes like this. What if they know something’s up? They might be getting to move out before we’re ready.”  
I thought it over in my mind. Sam did have a point: Cerberus had a talent of sniffing out suspicious activity. I came across the idea that Cerberus might’ve already bugged out and retreated down a different road. There was only one way to be sure that we’d still get the jump on them.  
“Commander,” I said firmly, “I think it’d be wise to have two of us keeping eyes on that road just in case Cerberus decides to leave early.”  
Iden glanced at the floor, putting her fist up to her lip as she thought about it.   
Iden Versio had once been a fighter pilot for the UNSC Navy, then was hand-picked to be trained as a spec-ops squad leader that would shut down insurgents in the outer colonies. She was excellent, even outstanding, at her job. After a couple of years, she opted out and became a commander in the navy. She had fought against Cerberus many times and knew better than anyone how they think.  
She looked to me, “Joe, you and Paul suit up and head over there. Keep me updated on anything that screws with our plan. Understand?”  
I stood up straighter. “Yes, ma’am.”  
Little did I know that because of Sam’s gut, we’d be sent off on an odyssey in the days to come.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spartan 264 and 400 make their way to set up an ambush for the Cerberus convoy. But before they can do anything, they discover a teenager camping beside the road. Joe moves in to let her know on what was happening.

Paul and I stalked through the night, keeping ourselves low to the ground as we hiked through the forest. The temperature, according to my Heads Up Display, was 34 degrees Fahrenheit. The night was also humid; a thick fog had now enveloped the forest, making it impossible to see more than a few feet ahead. There were night predators out too, and they’re howling would deter most people. But Paul and I weren't most people.  
As we made our way through the brush, Paul let out an hmm.  
“What is it?” I asked.  
He motioned me to get lower on the ground by making is palm flat horizontally while lowering it. I complied and got on my stomach while bringing my weapon up. I looked to Paul as he looked through the scope of his sniper rifle. He placed a finger on the trigger, but then slowly eased it off. He was more interested in what he was seeing than he was on shooting it.  
“Paul? What do you see?”  
He slowly craned his gaze towards my direction.  
“I...I think it’s a campfire.”  
I tilted my head. “A what?”  
Paul looked back through the scope to get a second look.  
“Confirmed, one campfire. And to make it more interesting, it’s right next to the road.”  
I moved up a couple of feet to see if I could spot it. In the distance, I saw a little orange dot illuminating through the night. I found that odd; this wasn’t a campground due to the wildlife in the area. The officials here didn’t want the locals disturbing the native animals, so there wasn’t supposed to be anyone sleeping out here. I was looking at one in the distance.  
I took off my Mark V helmet to sniff the air. If what I was seeing was what Paul thought it was, there would be the familiar smell of smoke in the air.  
I took a slow deep breath through my nostrils. Now I knew for sure: that was a campfire. The question remained: whose was it?  
I placed my bucket back on my head and turned back to Paul.  
“Take the left flank. We’re gonna see who’s out there.”  
We dashed off into separate directions: him going left and me going right. We were circling to get the drop on the ‘camper’ who built a fire.  
As I moved in closer, the smell of the fire made its way through my filters. It was there that I smelled something else — something...savory. I hadn’t eaten anything that gave off that good of an aroma in weeks. My mouth started to salivate as I drew nearer.  
I was now twenty feet away from the fire. The fog had lifted, and as I looked through the scope of my rifle, I could see just exactly what was going on.  
Above the fire hung a small metal pot, steam venting out of its top. There was a bag left sitting on top of a rock, a bedroll close but not too close to the burning wood, and just one person.  
Paul made an annoyed grunt. “Oh, it’s just a teenage girl.”  
The girl, who stirred the contents of the pot in a slow counterclockwise movement, was oblivious to our presence. She had medium brown hair that draped down either side of her head and a small fringe. She wore a bright red jacket with a navy blue half circle over the chest. Her eyes, the best I could tell, were a dark blue, just like the long pants she wore. Around the top of her head was a red and white bandana that matched her coat.  
The camper pulled the spoon she was stirring with up to her lips and took a small sip of whatever was on it. She smacked her lips, and made a disapproving grunt, apparently not satisfied with it. She brought out a seasoning of some sort out of the bag and sprinkled in about a teaspoon. The contents of the pot, I guessed, was some soup.  
My stomach began to ache as the smell from the soup. I had trouble keeping my mouth from overflowing with saliva. I even started to smack my lips, just like the girl hovering over the fire.  
I wasn’t the only one who found the smell entrancing. Paul let out a sigh, “Damn, that smells good.”  
“You’re telling me.” I agreed.  
“So, how do we handle this?” Paul asked mind now back on the task at hand.  
“We’re not going to blow her brains out,” I said.  
“Should we scare her off? Pretend we’re ghosts?”  
I rolled my eyes at that idea. “No.”  
The girl tasted the soup again, letting out a delighted sigh, then grabbed a bowl from her bag on the rock. She brought out a small cup and ladled the white soup into the pot. She then sat down on the bedroll, her back towards me, and began eating the dinner.  
“Okay, Paul, hang back. I’m going to introduce myself.”  
“And how are you going to be doing that?”  
“Oh, you know, my outstanding charisma.”  
Paul laughed. “You might have to borrow some of mine.”  
I laid down my rifle and started walking calmly for the roaring fire. The girl continued with her meal, not giving me any attention at all as my heavily armored frame made towards her. I couldn’t help but shake my head; she was unclear of the dangers the woods possessed. A predator could have easily snuck up on her. I’d tell her to be more careful when I reached her.  
When I was only a few feet behind her, the girl got up to get something out of her bag. I thought now would be good to let my presence be known.  
“Hey there.”  
What happened next caught me off guard. The teenager swung around towards me and let out a blood-curdling scream. She started to move back but tripped over a root instead. Once on the ground, she used her hands to quickly drag herself away from me, still yelling like a banshee.  
I held up my hands, surprised at the reaction I just got. “Whoa-whoa-whoa! Easy there! I’m not going to...”  
The girl sprang to her feet, now wielding a long branch in her hands. I took another step closer, and she swung the stick as hard as she could. There was a nice thump as the stick slammed into my armor, causing wooden splinters to fly in every direction. I barely felt a thing, but now knew that she wasn’t delighted that I startled her.  
“Kid, watch it. I’m not going to--will you stop hitting me with that stick, please?”  
Even with her weapon broken, the girl swatted at me over and over again trying to fight me off. Paul got on my radio and was laughing his head off at what he was seeing.  
“You know you can step in anytime, Spartan!” I yelled over my comms, but Paul made no effort to step in.  
Finally, as the teenager went for another swing, I grabbed the stick and pulled it out of her hands. I held it up and snapped in half, tossing the pieces behind me. I was slightly annoyed at that point.  
“Listen! I’m Spartan 264 of the UNSC! I’m not here to hurt you!”  
She backed up against a tree, gripping the trunk for dear life. Her eyes darted quickly, trying to find an escape route.  
I took off my helmet as a last ditch effort to show her I wasn’t there to kill her. I placed it on the ground, next to my feet. I threw my hands up again, showing her I didn’t have any guns, knives, or any other type of weapon. “I’m not armed! For crying out loud, kid, I didn’t mean to startle you like that.”  
With relief to me, the girl finally started to calm down. She slowly let go of the tree, wiping off the foliage that stuck to her legs.  
The kid was now looking me over, creasing her brow as I stood there. “Who are you?”  
I breathed a sigh of relief. At least the girl wasn’t hitting me with a stick.  
“I’m Spartan 264, but you can call me Joe.”  
She gave me another look over, not believing what she was seeing.  
“You’re a Spartan? I heard that Spartans were just propaganda, to give UNSC civilians hope that we’d somehow win the Covenant War.”  
That was a common idea around the worlds that didn’t get hit. Spartan-IIs weren’t really ‘public knowledge’ when the War started, and only a few people even knew the Spartan-III project. We were so top-secret that not even Dr. Halsey, the brainchild behind the IIs, knew about III’s like myself. No, Spartans like the Master Chief got all the glory while III’s died in the dozens without anyone knowing. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was.  
I lowered my arms. “Do I look like propaganda to you?”  
She gave an I-don’t-know shrug. “I mean, I guess? That armor makes you look unstoppable.”  
I looked at my MJOLNIR; a dulled out blue version of the old Mark IV. Call me retro, but I thought the type of armor the Master Chief and the other Spartan-IIs wore at the beginning were pretty BA. The GEN 2 that most Spartan-IVs and some surviving IIs wore was good, especially with the improvements that solved some problems with the GEN 1 armor. Still, I had to go with the classics.  
I let out a chuckle. “Well, I guess you’re right about that.”  
The girl hung her head, placing her hands behind her.  
“I’m sorry...for hitting you. I thought you were a Covenant alien.”  
“That’s quite alright. What’s your name?”  
“I’m May. May’Haruka nar Sidney III.”  
I reached down for my helmet, brushing off the dirt from the bottom. I was confused; usually, when the word ‘nar’ followed by a place was in the name, it referred to a quarian who hadn’t gone on a ‘pilgrimage’ yet. And, as best as I can tell, the girl, May, wasn’t a quarian.   
“Nar? You part quarian or something?”  
She gave another shrug, then headed over to the pot of soup that was still boiling over the fire.  
“Well, my actual parents died when I was young. Luckily for my two brothers and me, a quarian couple lived right next door from us and were wanting kids. So with quarian parents comes a quarian name.”  
May took the pot off the heat and set it down on the ground so it wouldn’t overcook the soup. She reached into her bag again and brought out another bowl. She held it out in my direction.  
“Would you like some cream of potato soup? I guess I owe it to for...well, you know.”  
I reached out and took the bowl, giving the nod in appreciation. The dish was straightforward in design: two colors, white and blue, split horizontally.  
May grabbed the cup and gave me a generous portion, pouring it into the bowl with care. The aroma alone was enough for my mouth to start filling up with saliva.  
“This smells delicious.” I complimented.  
May gave a shy smile as I sat on a nearby rock to dig in.  
“May,” I said before bringing a spoon up to my mouth, “what are you doing out here in the Sanctuary Woods?”  
May picked up her bowl, not looking me in the eyes.  
“Well...I was on my way to the port at New Oceanside. I was gonna grab a ferry and take it across the Marx ocean to Johto.”  
Before she could explain any further, the both us heard rustling in the branches above us. I put down the bowl gingerly, then reached for my helmet. When I placed it on my head, I tried contacting Paul.  
“Saber 2, I’ve got movement above me. Can you see anything?”  
A significant figure came plummeting from the sky, landing hard right in front of May. She toppled over, letting out a gasp as her food spilled on her, making her yelp as the hot soup splashed onto her. I, however, recognized that figure almost instantly. Paul stood up with his sniper rifle slung on his back  
“Boss, we got trouble. That ONI agent just told Versio that the Cerberus convoy is on the move. They’re coming.”  
I got to my feet. “How long do we have?”  
“They’re moving pretty fast; they must’ve figured out what’s going on. ONI estimates we’ve got fifteen-to-thirty minutes before they get here.”  
That was a big problem. It took Paul and me over an hour to get where we were. Most of the terrain was uphill, so there was no way everyone would get here in time to set up. In short, it meant Paul and me were going to have to take out the whole convoy and retrieve the package with no help.  
“Well, it wouldn’t be a mission for us if were that simple,” I said with a resigning tone.  
May got up and was panting again. She gave me a look that just screamed what-the-hell-is-going-on. Paul turned around, saw of what happened when he landed and held up a hand.  
“Ooo, sorry about that. I’m Paul, by the way.”  
She gave him a wicked scowl, one that would provide a soldier pause.  
“Couldn’t you have just walked out like Jone?”  
“Joe.” I corrected.  
Paul pointed up to the trees and made a circling motion with his finger.  
“I was looking for good positions up there. Decided to take the expressway down.”  
She folded her arms and looked away with a pout, not wanting to give him any more of her attention.  
“I guess I should tell you what’s going on,” I said to May.  
She turned to me, still pouting but it grew mild when it was me talking to her.  
“We’re here because a Cerberus strike team hit a UNSC research outpost, about twenty miles from where we are now. They stole something that was found in the Marx, and we’re going to get it back.”  
May dropped her arms, now having a worried expression on her face.  
“Wait, do you mean the dome-shaped building by the sea?”  
“Yes.”  
She shook her head. “Oh...oh no.”  
“You know it?”  
She cocked her head. “I’ve seen it once or twice before while I was around that area. Didn’t exactly knew what it was until last week when a woman told me her daughter worked there.”  
That woman’s daughter was now gone. It was unfortunate, but it didn’t change anything.  
I continued. “Look, May, it’s not safe here. Pack up your things and get as much distance from here as you can.”  
“But it’s pitch black! I won’t see where I’m going!”  
“Better than getting your head shot off,” Paul said matter-of-factly.  
She turned to him, putting that pout back on.  
“Why can’t I just hide in the trees, as you did?”  
“Because a bullet would come up and hit you, which will cause you to plummet to the ground and hit your head on a rock. If the round doesn’t kill you, the fall will. Look, I’ll even help you pack up.”  
Paul kneeled to roll up the sleeping bag, but May stamped her foot on it defiantly.  
“I am not going out there! You know what kind of beasts are lurking around?”  
Paul tried to convince her and then they started to argue. While this was happening, I got on the radio.  
“Spartan 264 to Spartans 344 and 602, how far are you?”  
“We just ran out the loading bay, and we’re on our way to you,” Sam said.  
They had barely left. I ran through it in my head: by the time Bryn and Sam showed up, Cerberus would pass Paul and me if we waited. Even with our genetic enhancements and being able to run 55 kilometers per hour, the terrain was rough, which means they’d be slowed down.  
I gave a grim nod. “Understood. Get here as fast as you can. 400 and I will handle this.”  
“He said you found a civilian out there all by herself?”  
“I’ll explain later, focus on reaching the RV point. 264 out.”  
Suddenly, an idea sprang up in my head. Maybe finding May out here was a coincidence...or perhaps it was a sign.  
As Paul and May continued to argue, I stepped in between both of them.  
“If May doesn’t wanna go out there, then I’ve got a solution.”  
They both gave me puzzled expressions.  
“Joe,” Paul said, “she’s a kid who has no combat experience. How is she gonna help us?”  
May gave Paul a sinister glare, but then looked at me. “What’s your solution?”  
I turned to her. “How good is your acting?”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the convoy draws close, Joe, Paul, and May prepare themselves for a fight. The success of the ambush is all dependent on May.

I took cover behind a boulder, my thermal vision activated. I kept my eyes on the trail, scanning up and down to see any incoming vehicles. So far, all was quiet...except the anxious pacing on the road.  
“Are you sure they’re gonna stop?” May asked with a worry that crept in her voice.  
I had given her a small communications device that fit right inside the ear canal so Paul and I could keep her in contact.  
“Depends on how convincing you are,” I said with reassurance.   
As much as I hate to admit it, using May was probably the best way to halt that convoy in its tracks. Neither Paul or I had anything that could stop an APC, let alone a truck. Plus, I heard Cerberus liked recruiting humans who were looking for work or had lost their way.  
“Remember,” I said calmly, “you got separated from your friends while taking a hike and had been walking down the road for miles but haven’t had any luck picking up a ride. You’ll need to be scared.”  
“I don’t think I can be convincing enough,” May said doubtfully.  
“Don’t worry kid,” Paul said from his sniper’s perch, “when you see these guys, that fear will come out.”  
Paul had set himself up in a tree that was closest to the road and had good sightlines. He was able to secure himself to the trunk of the tree with hooks that he carried with him at all times.  
I radioed Bryn. “How’s it going, Spartan?”  
“We’re getting there,” she replied breathlessly, “about two miles!”  
They must’ve been running as fast as they could to get to us. If Bryn and Sam kept up that pace, there was more than a chance that at least one of them was going to get a torn ACL.  
“Don’t outpace yourselves,” I warned, “I’d like to have both of you at 100%.”  
“Nothing we can’t handle,” Bryn said confidently.  
That was something I admired about Bryn. She was one Spartan that was willing to give it more effort than anyone else I knew. No job, not even difficult ones for Spartan standards, was too much for her. That was because, before she joined Saber, Bryn was a Headhunter: Spartan-III’s who were specifically sent on suicide missions deep in enemy territory. She managed to complete six assignments before she was pulled and put in with Saber.  
“Heads up,” Paul said with purpose, “our convoy has arrived.”  
I looked to my left, and sure enough, there was a line of headlights heading straight towards us.  
I ducked down and got ready to move in. If that convoy stopped, I’d run towards the end of the line. Cerberus troops would come out of the vehicles, and at least one of them had to be carrying grenades. I’d use those grenades to detonate the rear truck, confusing them. With enough luck, Paul and I would be able to take all the guards down and secure the package. Hopefully, May would be enough to stop the Cerberus vehicles.  
“Okay, May, you’re up. You want--no, need--to get on one of those vehicles.”  
“Ye...ye..yes, Joe.”   
Now that Paul and I were counting on her and with the convoy approaching, the fear muddled her words.   
“You got this, kid,” Paul said, “now show ‘em what you can do.”  
I watched with anticipation as the first truck moved passed me. I looked to see May, stepping into the middle of the road and waving her arms up and down desperately, like a mad woman.  
“That’s it,” I whispered to her, “keep going.”  
As the second truck passed me, I still didn’t see any sign of slowing down from the lead vehicle. For a moment, it looked like the driver was going to run right through May. Then, at the last possible second, I heard the squeal of tires and saw red lights coming from the rear of the truck. The driver was applying the breaks. The second truck stopped, then the third, then the fourth, and finally the rear vehicle slammed on the brakes to avoid ramming into the one in front of it.  
“I’m moving in,” I said with no hesitation and started making my way to the back of the line.  
Paul and I listened to the conversation May was having with a Cerberus trooper.  
“What the hell are you doing?” A rough, gravely voice barked.  
“I--I--I need help,” May said shakingly.  
“Yeah, well go find someone who gives a damn and get off the road!”  
“P--Please! I was hiking out here with my friends, but I got lost and...”  
In the background, another voice joined in.  
“Sergeant, what’s the hold-up?” This voice was more gentle and posh. Most likely belonged to the commanding officer. He sounded more like a baron over some land that belonged to a royal family than a Cerberus operative.  
“This kid was standing in the road, sir,” the first voice answered, “blocking our way!”  
Now more troopers were getting out of the trucks, bringing out their weapons. One of them ordered her men into defensive positions.  
The second voice tutted. “Sergeant, can’t you see that this girl is lost? Shame on you!”  
I passed the fourth vehicle, trying to stay out of sight from the other soldiers.  
“I do apologize for his behavior, little lady. Now, what seems to be the matter?”  
May had now managed to get teary-eyed, sniffling every other word.  
“I was hiking...with my friends...when I had to use the restroom. When I was done...they were gone! I’ve...been walking...down this road for miles!”  
I had to give it to her: May was amazingly convincing.  
At last, I was right in the rear of the line of vehicles, and there were only two troopers around it. One had what I was looking for around his belt--grenades.  
“Oh, my,” the officer said softly, empathizing with her, “that sounds terrible. How long have you been out here?”  
May was now letting out little sobs, adding more to the poor lost girl that needed rescue.  
“I guess...maybe six hours?”  
“Six hours? My word! Sergeant, get this girl some water and a jacket!”  
May was standing out in the cold without her soup stained jacket. If she was going to be playing the role of a lost hiker, then she needed to look the part of an unprepared girl with no supplies.  
“Sir,” the first voice said tensley, “with all due respect, we’ve got to keep moving. We don’t have time for...”  
The officer’s voice grew stern and cold, a complete turn around from the sound he was using while talking to May.  
“I said to get her a coat. In case you haven’t noticed, it’s bloody cold out here!”  
I drew a combat knife that was stored in my armor and prepared to acquire the explosives.  
“May, keep him talking,” I said, “keep his attention on you.”  
“Do you have anything warm to eat? I’m freezing and starving.” May said through the sobbing.  
“We might have something for you,” the officer said soothingly, “but it might not taste good. Military rations aren’t like anything you’re used to eating, but it’ll fill you up.”  
One of the guards moved up towards the lead vehicle, leaving only a single target for me to deal with instead of two.  
I quietly lunged forward, running up to the lone guard. He barely had time to address what was going on before I sunk my blade deep into his throat. The Cerberus soldier let out a few gargled noises before he pitched forward. I caught him before he could hit the dirt and gently eased him to the ground. I pulled a grenade off his belt carefully and was ready to arm it.  
“May, Paul--get ready,” I said, finger over the button that would arm it.  
When the explosion went off, May was supposed to take off into the wilderness and wait until Paul, and I could take down the hostile forces.  
“Got my first target lined up,” Paul said, ready to go.  
I pressed the button, and the grenade started to whine, ready to explode. I went up to the front of the last truck, opened the door, and tossed it into the driver’s seat. I sprinted away to get a minimum safe distance. As I dove back into the brush, the grenade detonated, sending a giant fireball into the sky and lighting up the road for a brief second in an orange glow.  
Paul started firing, distant cracks from his rifle echoed through the night. I brought up my weapon and began unleashing three-round bursts into Cerberus troops who hadn’t regained their bearings from the explosion.  
“What the hell...” I heard the officer say through May’s earpiece.  
“May,” I yelled, “get to cover!”  
I ran up to the fourth truck and put down two more hostiles before they could react. Behind me, one brought up her weapon. Before she could squeeze off a barrage, the glass faceplate that covered her shattered, and where her right eye used to be was now a gaping hole.  
“Go,” Paul barked, “I got you covered!”  
“Keep May safe!” I said tensley, heading towards the third truck. This one was the vehicle that had the item recovered from the sea. I didn’t want May to be caught in the crossfire, so I gave Paul the order to keep her covered with sniper fire until she got to safety. It was the least we could do for her.  
I went to the back of the third truck, where to doors was all that stood between me and the cargo. Placing a hand on one of the handles, I tore the door off of its hinges without too much effort. One of the guards, who was standing in front of something, fired two shots at me. The rounds slammed into my shields, draining the only by a fraction. I brought up my rifle and unloaded three rounds directly into his chest, splattering the interior with blood. The second one brought up an M-22 “Eviscerator” shotgun. I quickly placed six bullets into him, focusing on the head. His helmet protected him from first three of the bullets, but the rest drove right home into his skull.  
“Targets down,” I reported, “moving in to acquire the package.”  
“Copy that,” Paul said, firing a round, “but that officer grabbed May. He’s keeping her pinned to the ground.”  
“Nail him!”  
“He’s taking cover behind the lead truck--I can’t get a good shot!”  
I didn’t have much time. In front of me was a glass cylinder, filled with water. At the bottom of the container was the blue, egg-shaped object that had cost a lot of lives. I grabbed the canister, examined it, and placed it over magnetic systems that my armor had over my right thigh. It stuck into place, and I went back outside to save May.  
When I got back outside, all I could see where the dead bodies of the Cerberus soldiers. I was about to head to the first truck when a figure in silver, black armor came out. He had gelled down hair, and a thick mustache. The living definition of a gentleman, except he had a pistol pointed at May’s head.  
I brought up my rifle.  
“Let her go!” I shouted at the officer.  
“First,” he said calmly, “drop your weapon and relinquish that container. Set it on the ground gently.”  
I shook my head. There was no way I was going to give that bastard what he wanted.  
“I don’t think you’re in a position to make demands.”  
He pulled back the hammer of his revolver, making it very clear on what he was willing to do. May, covered in dirt and shivering, looked to me with pleading eyes.  
“Please, Joe,” she cried, “help me.”  
The Cerberus soldier gave her a wild-eyed look; then he started to smile like the devil.  
“So that’s your name? Joe?” He said, making my name sound like an insult. The officer let out an evil chuckle.  
“Oh, I see what’s going on. You used her as a distraction, eh? Well, it was a marvelous performance. While she gave me the sad puppy dog eyes, you and whoever else is out there laid out your ambush. Very devious, Joe. Not like what the UNSC tells its people at all. I thought Spartans were supposed to be heroes, willing to lay down their life for the citizens.”  
He pushed the barrel of the gun right up to May’s temple, forcing her to tilt her head. Tears were running down her face as she squeezed her eyes shut.  
“You pull that trigger,” I growled, “and not only will I kill you.”  
I reached down and snatched up the canister on my leg. I held it high in the air so that the officer could see it.  
“I will smash this to the ground and crush whatever’s in here with my foot.”  
He pulled the barrel from May’s head back, but only by a fraction.  
“You have no idea what that is, do you?” The officer snarled, giving me a cold, dead stare.“That is a key. A key in obtaining the means of technological advancement beyond even the Asari!”  
Cerberus had only one goal: human dominance over the galaxy. They made their intentions clear when they started attacking distant colonies, kidnapping kids for experiments, and even plans for taking out the Council, the leaders of most of the galactic community.  
I shook the cylinder. “Well, if you don’t let her go, I guess your ‘key’ will be nothing but debris.”  
The gun moved another fraction away from May--I had the upper hand.  
The officer was now trying to regain his position of power. “I...will give you till the count of ten to put that down and step away.”  
“Oh yeah?” I asked. “Well, I’m giving you the count of three!”  
I started to squeeze on the glass until a small crack appeared.  
The eyes of the Cerberus officer widened to the size of dinner plates.  
“Stop! You ignorant...”  
I continued to apply pressure as a second, and bigger, crack appeared. The mustached soldier then rammed the barrel of the gun back up to May’s head, his face turning red.  
“I’ll do it! Do you hear me? I will blow this girl’s brains out if you don’t...”  
Before he could finish his sentence, a blade went right through his throat. May screamed as blood spattered on her face. The gun pulled away from her head as the officer started to lean forward, threatening to bring May down with him. The silver blade slid out of the now dead man’s jugular, and the body fell face first into the dirt. There was a curse from a welcoming voice.  
“Damn, that was too close,” Bryn said as she shook her knife to remove the blood. She was gasping for breath, her shoulders moving up and down in a continuous motion. Following close behind was Sam, who was huffing just as much as Bryn.  
I was relieved to see them; I didn’t want to think about what would happen if they showed a minute later.  
I lowered the canister to my thigh and hooked it back onto the magnets. “Glad you two showed up.”  
Bryn gave a slight shrug. “Ah, you know me: better late than never.”  
May fell to her knees and started to gasp for air. The shock of the whole ordeal was enough to knock her off her feet.   
I kneeled to May and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay? I could see that it was a rough ride for you.”  
She nodded. “Yes, I’m okay. Though...I’m not feeling so...”  
Without warning, May threw up--violently. She made a noise that was similar to a shout as her dinner came up to make a second appearance. May gulped down a few swallows of air before she let out another stream of vomit.  
None of us looked away in disgust; we all had done something similar, if not worse, to what May did.  
“Oh no,” May said, shame building up in her voice, “I’m so sorry!”  
I took off my helmet and set it down behind me. “Hey, no sweat. Happens to the best of us.”  
Bryn sat down next to May and started rubbing her back. That wasn’t like Bryn at all; she was probably one of the most shelled in people I knew. She would close herself up from just about anybody that tried to say hi to her. There must’ve been something that she saw in May that let Bryn be more open to her than she was to just about anyone else besides Saber.  
“Don’t worry, kid,” Bryn said with a calmness in her voice, “we ain’t the judging type.”  
I got up and extended a hand to her, being careful not to step in the white puddle. She grasped my hand, and I pulled her up to her feet, giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.  
“You did a good job, May. Not many people would offer to risk their lives like the way you did.”  
May gave me a tearful look, nodding. She let out another sob, and looked away, closing her eyes tight. A feeling of guilt ran over me for putting her into that situation. An hour ago, she had been cooking dinner and was getting ready to settle in for the night. Now, because of me, she was taken as a hostage and almost had been shot in the head.   
Paul slid down from the tree on the trunk, hugging it like an animal. When he reached the bottom, he went up to Sam and gave him a friendly punch in the shoulder. “Where have you two been? You missed all the fun.”  
Sam gave him a light shove. “Wasn’t our fault that Cerberus decided to roll out before we were ready.”  
Bryn looked at the canister on my thigh, examining at the cracks.  
“What exactly is that thing?” She asked, placing her knife back into its sheath.  
I made a dismissive wave with my hand, not concerned. “Some key that’ll unlock some technological treasure or something. I don’t care what it is; as long as it’s with us, it can do the least amount of harm.”  
Bryn reached down and grabbed the container from my leg. She gave a real long look at it, then gazed back at me. “I think this might need a more gentle place to be carried around in. I mean, look at this damage.”  
She held it up to me, pointing out the cracks. Both of them were now leaking water slowly, but those could soon get bigger, meaning more water would escape. My gut told me that the object inside needed that water to survive.  
I gestured to my armor. “Well, as you can see, I don’t exactly have anything soft to put it in.”  
Bryn looked at May, who was trying to get the blood spatters off from her face. She looked at the canister, then back to May.  
“Hey, kid,” Bryn said softly, “you up for doing one more favor for us?”  
I glared at her. “Oh, no-no-no-no! We put May through enough for one night; we’re not turning her into a courier for us.”  
Bryn scoffed. “Ah, she looks like a tough girl. I mean you said it yourself--she’s got balls.”  
I folded my arms. “Yes, but she’s already done her part in this. I’m not going to let her journey be put on hold because we don’t have anything to carry that container gently or even seal up those cracks.”  
Paul chimed in. “I don’t know, Joe. Maybe she should travel with us, you know, in case there are other Cerberus agents out there.”  
“Or predators,” Sam added, “I bet they can smell the blood, if not the burning flesh.”  
I was about to make it clear that we wouldn’t be taking her with us when she came up close to me. “Joe...I can help. Please, I...I don’t wanna be alone out here right now. I feel safe with you guys.”  
Her eyes were still watering from her vomiting, but that look in her eyes told me that she was terrified. I then thought of how we owed her for risking her life so that we had an actual chance of getting the package. We had ruined her night with all the shooting and explosions. I mean, was it that bad if she just came with us?  
I let out a long sigh, looking over the carnage of bodies and a flaming APC. I understood why May didn’t exactly want to be left here all alone.  
“Okay,” I said quietly, “go and get your things. We’ll guide you back to our ship. You can spend the night on board with us and then we’ll take you to Johto.”  
May smiled meekly, sniffing and said, “Thank you.”  
Sam came up to her. “Here, I’ll help you pack.”  
As she and Sam went over to the campsite, Bryn gave me an amused look. “She seems like a nice kid.”  
I gave a shake of my head. “Yeah, she is. What I’m worried about is that we just might’ve roped May into something that’s going to claim her life.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fireteam Saber heads back to the Nomad with May as she now holds the package in exchange for a safe place to sleep for the night. Little do the Spartans know, they are being tracked. During this pursuit, the container breaks, and something miraculous happens that will set the Spartans and May on a vast galactic journey.

An hour had passed since Paul, and I took out the convoy and the five of us starting hoofin’ it back to the Nomad. I was still amazed that we were actually able to pull it off. It was all thanks to the girl we found in the woods; though I think discovering girls in the woods is like the start of a horror movie. The scenery was right.  
May was now feeling secure with four Spartan bodyguards by her side. She was carrying the container with the strange egg looking thing safely inside it. May wrapped her arms around that thing and pressed it close to her abdomen. As we walked, she still felt a little shaken from having a gun up to her head. But thanks to Sam speaking with her, May was getting more cheery and was now talking about herself.  
We learned that she had just turned 19 about two weeks ago and was on a journey that her adoptive parents had encouraged her to take. They wanted May to make her pilgrimage across the planet, visiting key cities and locations. She lived about 100 miles away and had mostly been walking or taking public transport in her quest. She talked about the amazing people she met, the great food at some restaurants a few cities over, and just went on and on about what she was excited to see.  
“And over in Vermillion Harbor,” May said with a sing-songy tone, “the ships come in and out all day! I hear that the green rock crab bisque at Jeff’s Shack is to die for!”  
Sam was carrying May’s pots and pans on his back, the loud clunking after each step was starting to get irritating to me, but he just listened and conversed with her.  
“What makes the bisque so special?” Sam asked, actually interested in what May was saying.  
“I heard that the chefs only use female crab meat, which is supposed to be sweeter than the male crab. In addition, they saute the onions and tomatoes before they add it in the pot!”  
Sam let out a soft moan. “You gotta be careful, May; you’re making me hungry.”  
“Oh, and I haven’t even talked about what goes on in Cherrygrove! They raise all sorts of flowers that have the sweetest scent in the all of Sidney III.”  
May let out a peaceful and hopeful aaah, closing her eyes as she most likely imagined that she was there, sniffing the aroma of all those flowers.  
“Just the thought of them takes my breath away. I bet the city surrounding those flower fields is romantic!”  
Sam let out a small snicker. “Romantic eh?”  
May, looked down, blushing. “Don’t laugh! I actually love romantic stuff. Flowers, sunsets...”  
“Chocolates, walks on the beaches, the Eiffel Tower,” Sam added.  
He and May let out a series of laughter as Paul, Bryn, and I continued walking over the rugged terrain.  
“Glad they’re having a good talk,” Paul said, having May’s bag slung over his shoulder.  
“Ah, let ‘em be,” Bryn said, keeping her eyes straight ahead, “I’m actually starting to like their conversation.”  
I thought it would be good to let the commander know that we were bringing May. She probably wouldn’t like the idea of bringing a civilian aboard, but it wouldn’t be for long.  
I got on the communications channel that was linked to the Nomad.  
“Commander, this is Spartan 264. Hostiles have been neutralized and we’ve got the package.”  
There was a pause before Versio replied. “Did 344 and 602 reach you in time?”  
“Negative, ma’am. We got help from a nineteen-year-old girl who was setting up camp right near the ambush site. Be advised; she’s heading back with us.”  
I could feel the commander’s disapproval through my headset. “Explain to me why you thought that was a good idea, Spartan.”  
Bryn was linked onto the same channel, and just tensed her shoulders as I tried to explain the situation.  
“Ma’am, she risked her life to stop the convoy from continuing down the road. She even had a gun pointed at her head from the commanding officer. All she wants is to spend the night with us; then she’ll be on her way.”  
“Spartan, you should’ve ran this by me before you acted,” Versio grumbled.  
“I know, Commander...”  
There was a long silence before she spoke again.  
“The girl can stay for one night, but we have to get the package back to Command as soon as possible.”  
“Understood,” I replied, grateful that I was spared a verbal lashing...at least for now.  
I disconnected from the line, and Bryn eased her shoulders.  
“That could’ve been a lot worse,” she said.  
“What can I say,” I said with a sly smile underneath my helmet, “I’ve got a way with the commander.”  
Bryn chuckled, “You better hope she never hears you say that.”  
Sam let out a deeper moan, reacting to something that May had said in their conversation. “I haven’t had real meat in a long time. My mother used to make this decadent moa roast marinated in a dill broth. That was my favorite thing she cooked.”  
“Where are you from, Sam?” May asked, now wanting to talk about Sam. That was going to be problematic as all four of us, along with hundreds of other kids, spent our childhood training to become fierce and deadly soldiers. Sam would most likely have to make up something to keep that information safe. However, Sam answered truthfully on the first question.  
“I’m from Harvest. I used to live on a farm with my mother and three older sisters.”  
May gave him a wide eyed expression.  
“Harvest? The first world to fall in the War?”  
Sam took a long time before he mumbled, “Yes.”  
May made an ‘o’ shape with her mouth, accidentally bringing up the tragedy of Harvest--the first world to fall to the Covenant.  
“Oh, Sam, I didn’t mean to make you remember that,” May said apologetically.  
He just shrugged it off, not at all affected on the memories of his homeworld. “You didn’t know. I mean, that’s why you asked, isn’t?”  
She nodded. “Yeah...I guess I didn’t even consider that you’d come from a place where a major event in UNSC history happened.”  
“Well, fortunately, I wasn’t there when it came under attack.”  
“What about your mother and sisters?”  
“I heard that they survived. That was good enough for me.”  
May didn’t realize it, but she and Sam had something in common: they were both adopted by nonhumans. Sam’s birth parents died when he was only a year old. It was an asari matriarch who took him in and raised him along with her three daughters. It was true that they survived...up until they were caught in another attack at Madrigal.  
Paul suddenly stopped, cocking his head to one side. I held up too, as did Bryn and Sam. May took a couple of steps forward before she noticed that none of us were moving.  
“Something’s stalking us,” Paul uttered through the radio.  
The rest of Saber switched into action, setting up a perimeter, with May in the middle. We drew our weapons and scanned the trees and the surrounding area.  
“What’s happening?” May asked in a whisper, kneeling on to the ground. She clutched the container tighter.  
“Paul,” I said, “what is it?”  
He was quiet, looking in one specific direction--behind us. Something was there and it was close.  
“We’re being followed. Listen.”  
All of us listened intently, but there wasn’t any noise. Not even the nocturnal wildlife was making any sound. To others, things being silent would mean everything was fine. But to Saber, if the wildlife wasn't making noise, something was out there that didn’t belong.  
“I can’t hear anything,” May said, confused on why we seemed to be worked up about nothing.  
“That’s just it, girl,” Bryn said with a hushed voice, “the animals are being quiet.”  
Sam suddenly spotted something, raising his rifle to the left of the group.  
“Aw, hell,” he said, sounding more gruff than he was a few seconds ago, “there’s more than one!”  
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement within the trees. Whoever was out there was circling around the group trying to close us off.  
“Move,” I shouted, “move!”  
We all sprang to our feet and started sprinting forward before we were cut off. May, not being genetically enhanced, was stunned at how fast we were moving. She had to pump her legs to even stay near us. I slowed down a little to make sure she wouldn’t get left behind.  
Shots began going off, and bullets whizzed right by us like swarms of angry insects. Trees started to break apart, send shards of wood towards us like shrapnel. Dirt sprang up towards us as the rounds impacted the ground.  
May started cursing like a sailor as rounds flew dangerously close to her head.  
Sam moved in behind her and laid down suppressing fire. “Keep going, kid! I got your back!”  
Bryn started firing her shotgun to the left, keeping whoever was chasing us pinned down. I started doing the same to our right flank, firing bursts into the trees.  
I blinked rapidly, reconnecting my helmet to the channel that linked to the Commander.  
“Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! Commander, this is Spartan 264, we’re being pursued by unknown hostiles. They’ve opened fire, and we’re on the move!”  
There was an explosion behind us and more dirt and dead leaves started raining down on us.  
“Keep going!” Versio yelled.  
“Like that’s even a choice!” I said.  
“Who's after you?”  
“I don’t know,” I snapped, “I haven’t stopped and asked them yet!”  
Another explosion erupted behind us. Things were getting tight.  
“I have a visual,” Bryn hollered, “looks like Cerberus isn’t done with us yet!”  
Looking to my right, I saw the unmistakable helmet of a Cerberus Assault Trooper. Four red lines that slant inwards like angry eyebrows. There were multiple red lines out there. I asked myself how in the world was Cerberus able to send in another squad without alerting the Commander. I thought of a few reasons but then banished them to the back of my mind so that I could focus on not getting shot to pieces.  
Paul let out a growl. “Agh, we’re gonna get cut down if we keep going like this!”  
He was right. If we didn’t start fighting back, the combined fire would take down our shields and riddle us full of holes. I acted quickly.  
I reloaded a new magazine into my rifle. “Paul! You and I will provide covering fire. Sam and Bryn: get May and the package back to the Nomad!”  
“Affirmative!” Paul replied through gritted teeth.  
I swiveled around and dropped to one knee, pumping rounds into the shadows that were moving. Three of them stopped and crumbled to the ground, and I turned around and started booking it again.  
Paul started doing the same: stop to kill a few enemies then started running again. The both of us did the same action for about what seemed like forever, stop-shoot-run, stop-shoot-run, until the enemy fire started to decrease. We had done this for almost a mile, according to my HUD.  
“We got this,” I assured my team, “just keep going!”  
May, however, was starting to slow down. Never before in her life had she ran that far so fast, and it was starting to take its toll on her body.  
“Keep going!” Sam shouted at her.  
“I...I can’t!” May screamed as she went from a sprint to a jog.  
“You don’t have any other choice! Either you get your butt moving or get it shot off!”  
That seemed to put fire in her; May started full on sprinting again, holding the canister tight against her chest.  
As I dropped to one knee again to provide cover one more time, a bullet came right at me. It grazed the side of my helmet, making an ear splitting screech as it skidded along the metal plating. I fired a long spray into the woodland, then hightailed it out of there. The soldiers were starting to catch on to the pattern. At least there were fewer of them now.  
As we were beginning to lose them, May’s foot caught onto something, sending her tripping forward. The canister fell to the ground, bouncing up a few inches in the air as it flew forward, disappearing into the bushes. We couldn’t outrun them, not while guarding May and the package. She was about to give out, and Cerberus was closing in.  
“Saber!” I yelled, “Defensive positions!”  
Spartans worked their best with their backs against the wall. Now was the time to turn the tables.  
Paul rolled forward, turning himself a swift 180 degrees around, rifle up. Bryn pulled her legs in and skidded to the ground. Sam stopped to help May get up, reaching an arm around her waist and hoisting her up to her knees, but then laid a hand on her back and pushed her down so she wouldn’t get hit by a round. She had a couple of scrapes, but nothing that looked too serious.  
“Here they come!” Bryn bellowed, firing shells into the tree line. Paul opened up with his sniper while Sam and I shot at anything that moved.  
For a whole minute, there was nothing but the sounds of firearms going off, muzzle flashes that lit up the night for a fraction of a second, and the smell of smoke.  
After noticing that there were no bullets heading our way, I shouted, “Hold fire! Hold fire!”  
For a brief moment, there was nothing but silence and clouds of gunsmoke hanging through the air. I looked to Sam, weapon still pointing at the forest, waiting for something to pop up. Paul was covered in dirt, almost to the point where it almost looked like it was stuck onto his MJOLNIR. Bryn stood up, letting her hand clutching her shotgun fall to her side as she craned her neck for another target. But I couldn’t see May. She wasn’t beside Sam anymore.  
“May?” I said, listening for a response — nothing.  
I started to move my head left to right, trying to find her red bandana through the night. “May! May, where are you?”  
Paul stood up, joining in the search and calling out for her. “May? May, holler if you hear us!”  
Sam pointed down in the direction where we were running. “She’s over there!”  
I looked to where Sam was directed at and saw a figure, hunched over something. All four of us quickly went towards the figure, hoping that nothing terrible had happened.  
I was the one who reached the hunched figure first. When I saw a red bandana, I was relieved, but only for an instant.  
“May?”  
I reached a hand down to her shoulder. She didn't react.  
“May, are you hurt?”  
May turned around, holding something in her palms. I looked down to see what it was, and grew shocked.  
There, now outside of the container full of water, was the package--out in the open.  
May struggled for breath as she tried to explain.  
“I’m...I’m...sorry. I didn’t mean to let go, but it just slipped out of my hands. I...”  
She began to quiver, trying to fight back tears of having lost her grip. Adrenaline was making its way out of her as she could barely stand up.  
I looked to my team, who just stood there, their disappointed expressions masked behind their helmets. Sometimes that's just how it was: you give it your all, and it’s still not enough.  
I turned my attention back to May, and sat down next to her, my legs screaming for me to rest.  
“You did your best, May,” I said in an affirming tone, trying to hide my own frustration from her. I gave her a pat on the back, letting her know that I wasn’t mad at her for doing something she hadn’t planned to ever experience.  
She shook her head, not knowing how to react. “I’m sorry.”  
Against the protest of my legs, I stood back up and headed back to the others, a couple feet back from her. I switched to our private comm channel so that May wouldn’t be able to hear us.  
“Well,” Bryn said sourly, crossing her arms in a disconsolate manner, “that went well.”  
Sam shook his head, disappointed in the mission being a loss.  
I looked down and saw a small rock just laying there. I kicked the pebble, sending it flying into the wilderness. It landed against a tree, making an echo throughout the forest.  
“So what happens now?” Paul asked, still cradling his sniper.  
I stood firmly, straightening up. “We get May back to the ship and patch her up. We’ll drop her off in Johto in the morning.”  
“What about the package?”  
What else was there to do? The very thing that had cost so many lives had put May’s at risk, and forced us to run through the forest with Cerberus on our butts was now gone. I didn’t care what happened to it now. I’d even use it as a skipping stone, seeing as that was the only useful thing it’d be right now.  
“Might as well just leave it,” I said bitterly, “it’s basically worthless...”  
“Joe?” May said, with uneasiness in her voice.  
I turned around, reactivating my external audio filters. “Everything okay, May?”  
She stood up, and then a soft red light started to illuminate in her hands. A weird sound started to drone and was steadily getting louder.  
Paul, Bryn, Sam, and I quickly started running towards her. “May! May, drop it!”  
She looked to us, letting out scared gasps, still not letting go.  
“For frig’s sake, girl,” Bryn screamed, “let go of the damn...”  
The red glow subsided and was replaced by a blinding white flare. I had to shut my eyes and look away, water already starting to fill my vision. I kept them closed for a solid fifteen seconds before I couldn’t see the glow through my lids. When I looked back, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness, I saw May still, miraculously, in one piece. I started taking small, cautious, steps towards her, holding out a hand to her. “May...May you okay?”  
She remained silent, but she looking down in her arms at...something.  
I took one more step, “May?”  
She didn’t pay any attention to me, but I heard a soft laugh come out of her. Then, all the sudden, a wailing cry emitted from her arms.  
May looked around, “Uh...Uh...”  
Then she started rocking her arms back and forth, “Oh no, it’s okay! Yes, everything is going to be fine! Just fine!”  
I went and placed myself in front of May to see what was going on. I looked down and saw something that was unlike anything I’d ever seen before in all my years.  
In May’s arms was a small, blue, stubby body with two flippers for arms. Its head was in the shape of an onion with a pair of long whips with a ball hanging off of each end of it. A red gem was centered on its chest with a yellow dot beneath it. Two lines extruded from its eyes, which were shut tight, like eyelashes, topped with yellow dots. The one-foot creature wriggled in May’s arms, crying and wailing, as she tried her best to calm it down like a mother to her fussy baby.  
“What the...” I muttered, trying to comprehend what in the actual hell was that thing.  
Sam and Bryn came up from behind and looked over May’s shoulders. When they saw the weeping bundle, the two Spartans just stared as tears ran down the creature's cheeks.  
Sam took off his helmet, wanting to see it with his own eyes, making sure his helmet wasn’t distorting his vision. Sweat dripped down from his forehead as his puzzled expression continued to look.  
Bryn took her bucket off too and blurted, “What in the bloody hell is that?”  
May continued to sway her arms, trying to calm the screaming. “That’s it, that’s it, that’s it! You got it!”  
I just gazed at it, trying to wrap my mind around what had happened. I ran through everything from when May called out to me, and the red glow appeared. For once...I didn’t have any clue how to explain it.  
Paul was the last one to come and examine what all the fuss was about. When he saw the crying...thing, he didn’t seem too confused at all. He and May were probably the only ones out of all five of us to adjust quickly to the situation.  
“Oh,” he said, as if it was an epiphany, “so the package was...an egg.”  
It all made sense now. The egg-shaped object was in actuality an egg! The commander even said the thing was organic, yet none of us took the wild guess of it having something living inside.  
“An egg for what?” Sam asked, wiping the drips from his forehead.  
“That thing apparently,” Bryn replied.  
The ‘baby’ started to settle; it cries becoming softer and softer as it was began to tire out. It even opened its eyes, which were a light shade of yellow with dark blue pupils. It stared at May, calming down as it looked deep into her eyes. Then, its eyes shut again, and its little body moved up and down in a rhythm--it fell asleep.  
I got back onto the communications channel.  
“Commander, this is Spartan 264. Hostiles and down, but...uh.”  
“What is it, Spartan?” Versio asked with a pressing tone in her voice.  
“I don’t know where to even begin,” I softly said, trying not to awake the sleeping bundle so it wouldn’t start crying again, “but it seems like now figured out what the package was.”  
“Was? What happened?”  
“It was an egg, ma’am. An egg!”  
There was a long pause before the commander responded. “What do you mean an egg? Did...did something ‘hatch’ from it?”  
“If you wanna call it that, yeah.”  
“What came out of it?”  
I shook my head, not even sure how to say it. “I think it’d be easier if you saw it with your own eyes, commander. We’re heading back now---264, out.”  
I took off my own helmet, the cold air splashing against my hot face, my breath turning into a fog.  
“Okay, I know this is a...weird experience for everyone, but we need to head back to the Prowler before Cerberus sends in another kill squad.”  
Bryn looked to me with concern. “But what about...this?”  
I shrugged, “I guess it’s coming with us. Let’s move out!”  
Sam slinged his rifle behind his back and held out his arms towards May. “Here, I’ll carry it for you.”  
May gingerly placed the tiny blue body into Sam’s arms. Its eyes opened and started to cry again. She quickly took it back, rocking it and whispering “Shh, shh,” until it calmed down and fell asleep again.  
Bryn put her bucket on and said, “Best if she carries it. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want that thing crying the rest of the way back.”  
“Agreed,” Paul said, already moving ahead of us, taking point.  
I walked to May, now gently bouncing the blue hatchling up and down softly---trying to keep it soothed.  
“Hey,” I said in a hushed voice, trying to keep things peaceful, “do you need to have one of us carry you? I mean you just sprinted for three quarters of a mile in rough terrain without stopping.”  
She bobbed her shoulders, “I am exhausted, but I can walk.”  
May had shown me, three times to be exact, that she was a lot tougher than she appeared to be. In the miniscule time that I knew her, May swung at me with a stick, placed herself in front of an armored Cerberus convoy, and ran through the woods in the dark with bullets flying at her. To me, the girl might as well been a marine for the way she reacted to dangerous situations. Now she was willing to carry an unknown creature back to the prowler without any complaint.  
I smiled and gave her a nod. I slipped my helmet back on as, now six of us trekked in the dark back to the Nomad.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the Spartans and May come back with what hatched from the egg, Commander Versio has questions that she needs to have answered.

Throughout the rest of our hike back to the Nomad, there were no more ambushes from Cerberus, no more shootouts in the dark, and not a single suspicious noise disturbed us. On the other hand, there were multiple incidents of May’s little problem acting up. As May looked about ready to collapse to the ground, all of us tried to take the little one and carry it for her. And each attempt we made ended with it bawling its eyes out. After the fifth try, we all gave up and let May tough it out.  
When we got back, the moon was high in the sky, and all of us were covered in sweat and grime and smelled of spent gunpowder. Rex, donned in his battle gear with his two signature magnums on each of his legs, waved us in from the ship’s airlock. When we came into the light of the ship’s high beams, Rex let out a low whistle.  
“You guys look like you’ve through the wringer.”  
Bryn went up the ramp that led into the airlock. “Oh really, sir? I hadn’t noticed.”  
If it had been another officer, they would’ve reprimanded Bryn for that comment. However, Rex was tolerant of her occasional snarky comments and overall difficult attitude. He knew he couldn’t change her, but he could be a more patient officer than the others.  
As May neared the ship, she stared at Rex, a little intimidated by his Orbital Drop Shock Trooper armor. Rex looked at her and took off his helmet to her. He gave her a nod in acknowledgment, letting her know that he wasn’t going to stop her from coming aboard. May nodded back, then climbed up the ramp to enter the Prowler. The blue baby was sound asleep in her arms, which brought relief to the rest of us.  
When I made my way up to the airlock, Rex stopped me and whispered, “Was that the girl that helped you stop the convoy?”  
I only nodded, not wanting to explain the whole story out here.  
“And that thing she’s carrying?”  
I let out a sigh, “If only I knew, Captain. All I know is it cries every time May isn’t holding it.”  
Rex gave a glance at the door, checking if May was in earshot. When he was sure she wasn’t, he said, “Do you think it might’ve...imprinted on her?”  
“At this point, it could be anything. But your theory sounds like the most plausible, so I’m going to say yes.”  
He gestured for me to head inside, sharing my sentiments of not wanting to wait in the open for too long.

As I headed down the corridors, I noticed that, up ahead of me in the mess hall, that Commander Versio had stopped May and was talking to her. They were speaking to each other but in whispered voices. I had some trouble of hearing of what they were saying, but I thought it best not to eavesdrop in on their conversation. I had taken a few steps away from them before the Commander spotted me.  
“264,” she called out, “a word?”  
I turned around and headed right towards the two, taking off my helmet. When I reached the pair, it was apparent that the Commander wanted to know what had happened. All she said to me was, “Explain.”  
I let out a long breath through my nostrils, and told the whole story from the time Paul and I had left to the point where the little problem appeared from nowhere. Versio didn’t make any interruptions; she just listened. When I was done, she gave both May and me a wary expression.  
“So, It was what Cerberus was trying to get?”  
I nodded, “Appears so, ma’am.”  
Versio gave another look at the sleeping body, furrowing her brow, not sure what to think. May, now covered in dirt and dried blood, stood firm against the commander’s stare at her problem. A long and uncomfortable silence came over us as Versio ran through her mind, figuring out what she should do with May and It.  
Finally, she looked May in the eye and pointed down towards the crew’s quarters. “There are showers down there if you want to use them. Once you’re done, grab a bunk to sleep in for the night. I’ll have my medical officer examine you and your little friend in the morning.”  
“Thank you, Commander,” May said with the gentleness of a lamb, then sauntered off towards the showers.  
Versio then turned her full attention to me.  
“We need to get whatever she’s carrying to ONI Research,” she said, getting straight to the point.  
My chest tightened: ONI? I promised May that we were going to drop her off at Johto, not send her to a sterile medical lab where techs would be waiting to dissect the stubby thing. I would’ve been fine sending just the egg off, but now that it was alive and aware of its surroundings, I didn’t feel too confident with the Commander.  
“Ma’am,” I said calmly, “with all due respect, I think that’s a terrible idea.”  
“We don’t know what it is,” she stated, “or why Cerberus wants it. I’m sure that you’ll agree with me in not letting the Illusive Man get his hands on it.”  
“And I understand that, but we’re taking a page out of his book if we send that off to the spooks.”  
The Commander took a step towards me. “Well, if you have any idea or know anyone who has spent time around strange eggs in Forerunner ruins found at the bottom of the ocean, I’d like to hear it.”  
Something sprang into my mind. I did, in fact, know someone who might have the slightest clue into what was clinging onto May. I met her about a year ago on the Systems Alliance’s most valuable ship. Not only was she an expert on the Forerunners, but also on the Protheans. I would have to make one call.  
“Mind if I use the communications room, Commander?”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spartan 264 calls up an old ally that might have a clue on what hatched from the egg.

In the small communications center, which was nothing more than a cramped room with a single monitor on the wall along and buttons pulsating, I waited. Although tiny, it was probably one of the most advanced communications system ever built. Since Prowlers operated deep behind cover, they needed to have the best to do their job. I don’t understand the details behind it, but I did know that I could pretty much talk with anyone in the galaxy.

I sat on an uncomfortable chair as I stared at the blank monitor, waiting for my call to go through. Out of my MJOLNIR, I sat there patiently, drumming my fingers on my leg. I took my hat in my hands and examined the wears and tears on the fabric, then placed it back onto my head. Almost thirty minutes had passed since I made the call, and I was still unsure when the other line would pick up. Others would’ve given up by the third minute, but I knew that this contact of mine liked to wait for a little before picking up the line. I just had to wait a bit longer before someone answered.

Almost instantaneously, the monitor blinked on, showing me an asari sitting at a desk, looking not too happy. She was dressed in a dark uniform, and the bags under her blue eyes told me that she hadn’t slept in a couple of days.

“Liara,” I said, “good to see you.”

“Skip the pleasantries, Joe,” she snapped, “I’m in the middle of something important.”

I leaned back in the chair, propping my leg against the wall. “What is it?”

She shook her head, “Look; you’ve caught me at a horrible time. Do you need something or is this just a friendly checkup?”

Liara T’Soni was one of the leading experts on the Protheans, an ancient space-faring race that had vanished 50,000 years ago. Thanks to her discoveries, the galactic community of archaeologists now knew why they had suddenly disappeared from all existence. It was due to a galactic war between the Protheans and the Forerunners that had caused the two races to go extinct. And, with the little problem that was so clingy towards May, I figured Liara had the best chance on telling what exactly it was.

I pulled some visuals from my helmet camera onto a device that would display the images captured to Liara’s screen. I selected images that included the egg and what had hatched from it.

“I need you to give me an idea on what we’ve recently recovered from Cerberus.”

I sent an image of the egg still in the canister, waiting to send one of May’s problem.

Liara looked at the bottom right, waved a hand over to enlarge it. I watched her face as she examined the picture, eyes darting up and down.

“Goddess,” she breathed, “that can’t be a...”

I pulled in my foot and let the chair fall back onto all fours.

“You know what it is?”

She continued to stare at the photo, eyes fixed on a central point. Liara was now fully invested in what was on her screen.

“It’s an egg from a creature that has long since left the galactic scene. Ancient asari legends claimed that they were the children of the Goddess Athame, sent to Thessia as examples of what worshipers could become if they followed every will from Her. But later discoveries showed that they weren’t exclusive to Thessia, but rather a species that inhabited multiple planets.”

I readied the second image, this one of the creature soundly asleep in May’s arms. If this was what Liara was talking about, then things were about to get interesting, as if they weren’t already exciting enough.

“Did they look like this?”

I submitted the photo to her and waited. Liara looked to something offscreen and then  watched as her eyes grew wide, moving her head closer to the image.

“By the Goddess.”   
“I’m going to take that as a yes.”

Liara started typing away rapidly on various things, scrambling to finishing up whatever was ‘important.’

“Where are you, Spartan? I need to see this for myself!”

I folded my arms across my chest. “Liara, I’ve got my commanding officer wanting to send it to ONI so they can find out what is. If you know what exactly we’re dealing with here, tell me the specifics.”

She looked dead in the eye, her stare breaking through the screen.

“It’s called a Manaphy. The name means ‘Guardian of the Sea’ in an ancient dialect. They were created by the Forerunners and had the power to unlock secrets that have been lost. Do all you can to prevent ONI from obtaining it.”

I tried wrapping my head around this information. _Created?_ _Forerunners?_ This whole situation was now something much bigger than I could’ve imagined. Liara was right: she needed to get eyes on this.

“Liara, we’re on Sidney III, just a few systems away from Hades Gamma cluster.”

She nodded, “I know where it is. Meet me in Kilgore Plaza at New Oceanside. I’ll be there in eighteen hours.”

She winked off the monitor, and I was left alone with my thoughts. The mission was getting complicated quickly. Little more than a day ago, Saber was going to extract something stolen from a research outpost. Now we were being hunted by Cerberus, had a civilian with us and a creature that vanished thousands of years ago. I put a hand up to my brow, trying to process the information. It was swirling around in my mind like a cyclone. What was I going to do?

I got up and headed down to the crew’s quarters to at least get some rest. Maybe I’d have a better idea how to handle this in the morning, and also I had to tell the Commander about the rendezvous with T’Soni. I figured I’d get that out of the way now.


	8. Chapter 8

“Out of the question!” Versio growled, hands on her hips and giving me a sharp look. Even though I was almost two feet taller than her, the Commander stared me down. I had finished telling her about Liara heading over to New Oceanside for a meetup.

“Commander,” I said trying to convince her, “Liara T’Soni told me what it was and only wants to come to take a look. She dropped everything she was doing and is already on her way.”

Her face turned a furious shade of red, giving all she got into not screaming at me.

“Spartan...” she said with forced calmness, “we don’t have time to wait around for your asari friend. It’s apparent that there’s another Cerberus ship that we have yet to find, and you want to sit in New Oceanside while they look for the package?”

I admit that sitting around in the planet’s capital was probably not the smartest of choices. Cerberus might have spies stationed there that were specifically tasked with finding us. They would bring out the heavy guns now, going in full force to contain the Manaphy and bring it back to the Illusive Man. Still, Liara knew more about what we had than any of us aboard the  _ Nomad _ . It was a gamble, but I had to trust Liara.

“I’m sorry, Commander, but I believe leaving now would ruin any chance of actually understanding the Manaphy. Isn’t she worth trying at least?”

Versio let out an agitated sigh, frustrated that I had complicated the situation even further.

“It would be if there weren’t Cerberus soldiers out there patrolling the damn woods to find us! However, since there are, we don’t have the luxury of going on a trip to New Oceanside, sipping lattes and enjoying brunch as we meet up with an unknown asari who has fiddled around dig sites.”

Before I could go any further, she raised a hand, not wanting to discuss this any further.

She started walking away, but I wasn’t ready to back down.

“Commander,” I said towards her, “I’m not some fresh-faced grunt that still believes that there’s still decency in the galaxy. I know what the stakes are, and I’m confident that Dr. T’Soni can help us solve why Cerberus wants the Manaphy. We send it to ONI, and it won’t end. How long will it take for the Illusive Man to figure out where it is? How many soldiers will he send in this time to make sure it doesn’t get away? But if we can get Liara, who has shown me that she knows what the Manaphy is, we might prevent further UNSC lives being lost.”

Versio stopped her back facing towards me. I couldn’t tell what was going through her head as she stood there, not moving an inch for what felt like hours. Finally, she turned to me, face stern, and just said, “If she’s not there on time, we bug out. Understood?”

I gave a quick nod, grateful that she was at least taking a chance on the rendezvous.

“Good,” she stated, “we’ll work out how we’re going to do this in a couple of hours. Get some rest, Spartan.”

Versio resumed walking down the corridor of the  _ Nomad _ as I understood that if anything went wrong, it’d be on me.

 

When I entered the crew quarters, there sat Lexi and Rex in front of May, with the Manaphy sitting squarely in her lap. May had showered, her hair still damp and her bandana laying on the floor next to her feet. She wore the same shirt, or maybe a different shirt that looked the same as the other one, and dark, almost black, blue shorts. A white undershirt extended beyond the red one and touched her shorts.

The Manaphy, thankfully, wasn’t crying. It was calm, looking around the room with curiosity, taking in the new experiences. 

Lexi, who was wearing a navy blue shirt and pajama pants, reached out and placed her hand on the Manaphy’s head, giving it a soft rub. It looked at her with its big eyes, and reached out and touched the doctor’s arm with one of its flipper-like appendages. Lexi pulled away, gently wrapping her hand around the flipper, lifting it an inch to examine it further.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” she said, awed on what was before her.

Rex just stared, not sure what to think of it. He was out of his ODST gear and was wearing a clean white t-shirt with standard UNSC greaves.

Lexi let go of the Manaphy and looked at the feelers on top of its head. She then gazed at the red gem on its chest. “I’m at a loss for words here.”

Rex rolled his eyes. “You’ve said that about ten times now. Seriously, doc, we get that you’re thrilled, but don’t you think you’re overdoing it?”

She scowled at Rex. “I’m sorry, Captain, but this has got me exhilarated. I’m an expert in alien anatomy, and in all my years in medicine, nothing like this little thing has got me curious as much as this!”

May saw me come in and looked genuinely glad I was here. Perhaps sitting there while two strangers gawked at a mysterious creature that didn’t want to leave her side had made May feel like she was in the spotlight. Her eyes brightened up as I came walking through the door.

“Hello, Joe,” she said enthusiastically, eager to have the attention off of her, “I was wondering where you went.”

“Ah, I didn’t go far,” I replied, “not sure exactly where everyone else is though.”

“Paul and Sam are eating dinner in the mess hall,” Rex said, “and Bryn is working on another one of her ‘projects.’”

Bryn, with her fascination and skill with knives, had recently taken up wood carving. When she had some extra free time, she’d carve little objects out of small blocks of wood. Recently, she had started working on making a bird in mid-flight.

Rex turned back to May, “Did you get something to eat, ma’am?”

“Paul brought me something from the refrigerator,” she said, “so I’m not starving.”

The captain gave the nod, leaning back in his chair.

“I see that you’ve met Rex and Lexi.” I pointed out, walking over to one of the bunks.

“Yes,” May responded, “they’re...nice.”

“You’ll get used to Rex pretty quick. Might take a while with Lexi though---she bites.”

“Ha, ha, ha,” the doctor replied in an unimpressed tone.

Lexi then stood up, “May, would you mind if I held it?”

I shook my head. “Not a good idea, Lexi. It's super clingy---it’ll start crying the second May lets go.”

“Maybe because you were in armor,” Lexi stated, “it was afraid of you.”

She did have a point. The MJOLNIR armor might’ve looked terrifying to the Manaphy, with it being all large and intimidating in comparison to the more pleasant look and feel of May. 

“It might see May as its mom,” Rex replied, “and a lot of babies don’t like being away from their mothers.”

That stunned May, making her eyes pop out. Bad enough she was tangled up with us, but now that the Manaphy thought of her as its mom, that added more pressure on May. She stared at the floor, wholly overwhelmed at her current situation.

Rex saw that his comment had made her upset, so he merely said, “Don’t worry, kid; we’ll figure this out.”

I hopped up onto one of the top bunks, laying down and tried letting my body relax into the cheap mattress. When I closed my eyes, a high pitched wail smacked me back into the world, forcing me to sit upright. I looked over to see the Manaphy in Lexi’s arms, thrashing around like a fish out of water.

“Oh,” Lexi said, not sure what to do, “okay, uh, should I try bouncing it?”

“Told you,” I said, not even happy with my victory over Dr. T’Perro as the cries echoed off the walls.

Instead of putting the Manaphy back into May’s lap, Lexi placed it softly on the floor and took a step away. Amazingly, it stopped and gazed its head all over the room. It took tiny steps towards one side of the room, then took a few more to another part. The way it walked had an effect on T’Perro and May.

“Oh, Goddess,” the doctor cooed, “that is adorable!”

May placed her hands over her mouth as if trying to conceal a grin.

That’s when the Manaphy spoke. It didn’t talk profound wisdom or even a complete sentence. No, it only said one thing, and that was, “Manaphy.”

May gasped, Lexi froze, Rex stood up in his chair out of surprise, and I swung off my bunk. The little blue body just stared at us, not knowing what it did that made us react.

“Mana?”

We all looked at each other, not knowing how to respond to our guest speaking when it was only hours old. It was something that none of us, Rex and me with our combat experience, Lexi with her work in alien anatomy, or even May in her explorations, had not yet gone through. There wasn’t anything either of us could say to explain how the Manaphy could already speak.

May was the first to address it. She leaned down in front of it, tilted her head to the side, and simply repeated what was said.

“Manaphy?”

That made it smile, bounce up and down, and reply, “Mana! Manaphy!”

May giggled, sharing the enthusiasm that her little buddy was displaying. “Yes! Yes, Manaphy!”

May picked it up and starting prancing around the room with it. “You’re becoming a little genius! You’ve already said your first word!”

The Manaphy closed its eyes and waved its arms up and down; laughing squeaks came out of its mouth as May kept giving it praise.

Lexi smiled, grinning as she placed a hand to her forehead.

“So  _ that’s _ a Manaphy? Goddess, I thought they were just a myth!”

Rex turned to her, confused. “A what?”

“They’re from asari legends,” Lexi explained, “long ago, it was said that they lived side-by-side with our ancestors. One day they just disappeared without explanation whatsoever. I believe that this might be the first one discovered in over millennia.”

Rex let out an inaudible, “Woah,” as he continued watching May and Manaphy move around the room.

At that time, Paul and Bryn came in, looking ready to sleep. Both of them were wearing their dress downs--t-shirts with their names printed over their hearts, gray pants that were comfortable enough to sleep in, and their dog tags wrapped around their necks. They were dumbstruck as they watched May dance around the room. They looked to me, seeing if there was anything I could say about it. I just bobbed my shoulders, not even going to give into the details of what had happened a few minutes ago.

Paul stretched, eager to get some shut-eye. He marched in, avoided being bumped into by May, and laid himself out on one of the bottom bunks. Within seconds he started to breathe in a slow pattern, already fast asleep.

Bryn leaned against the doorway. “What’d I miss?”

May stopped her dancing, and said with a grin that went ear-to-ear, “Our little Manaphy here knows how to say its name!”

“Mana-what?”

“Manaphy!” It replied, “ManaPHY!”

May laughed and rubbed her head against the Manaphy’s, already bonded with it. I thought something like that would’ve taken time, but I guess I didn’t have much experience in that regard.

Then, the Manaphy said another word that got May’s attention. “Mama.”

Instead of shocking May, she just laughed, a small rose blush started to form on her cheeks, letting the word sink in.

“Yes,” May said softly, “Yes...I’m Mama!”

A small smile formed on my lips as I watched the sweet and tender moment between May and her ‘child.’ After seeing a lot of death in my life, it was nice to experience a moment where there wasn’t a gun in my hand. I knew that I would never get to live out what most people went through marriage, having kids, and growing old. Spartans never grew old; there wasn’t a Spartan around that had decided to retire and go live their own life. We were trained to fight, and that was all we had to look forward to in our time.

Bryn shook her head, in a light-hearted manner, and starting to head to the bed above the one that had May’s bag on it.

“Mind if I bunk with you, kid? I’m getting tired of Joe’s snoring waking me up in the middle of the night.”

May nodded, not even paying full attention to what Bryn was saying.

“Yeah, sure, go ahead!”

I scoffed, “I don’t snore.”

Bryn hoisted herself up to the top bunk, “Oh yes you do...sir.”

I still needed to tell May that we were making a small detour to the capital to meet up with Liara, but I decided to wait until tomorrow; she had enough excitement for one day.

Laying back down on the mattress, I drifted off with the word “Mana” echoing the room, then embraced the unconsciousness.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joe, Rex, and Versio gear up as they receive coordinates on the rendevouz with Liara at a club. All they need to do is work their way through the streets of New Oceanside.

A hand was placed on my shoulder, slamming me back into the land of the living. I sat straight up in an instant, turning my head to see who had woken me up. Staring back at me was Commander Versio, ready to roll.

“Spartan,” she whispered, “your asari friend just sent a message---she’s in the system and will be here within two hours.”

I gently slid out of bed, not wanting to wake the others. The Commander led me outside the crew quarters, wanting to finish discussing without the worry of waking everyone else. As soon as we were out of range, she briefed me on what the plan was to meet Liara.

“She sent coordinates to a club called La Vue, about three blocks south of the city center.”

I nodded, “Sounds simple enough.”

“Only that it’s not,” Versio said, “she said that her contacts in the city have reported Cerberus agents patrolling the blocks. Her best guess is that an operative by the name of ‘Blitz’ is around. If you show up in your MJOLNIR, you’ll get spotted in an instant.”   
“I guess you’ve already figured out how to proceed then?”

She gestured me to follow her down the hallways, wanting to show me something. She and I walked down to the medical bay, where T’Perro had collapsed onto one of the beds in there. I didn’t blame her; they were more comfortable than the bunks in the crew’s quarters. The commander went to the back room and came out with a red pullover hoodie. She threw it to me, “Might wanna put this on. You’re gonna need to blend in with the riff-raff.”

I examined the piece of clothing. It was relatively new, no worn out spots or tears in the fabric. The front had the logo of the Oceanside Otters, the local sports team, with an angry otter charging into the game, smoke coming out of the nostrils. Then shades were thrown at me, then a hat, and finally some earpieces that hooked up to a music player.

“Where did you get these?” I asked, laying out the apparel onto the opposite bed from Lexi.

“Left over from the previous crew,” Versio replied, “which was lucky for us.”

I tried on the hoodie, which smelled of laundry detergent and a small inkling of bleach. It was a little tight around the chest, but it went all the way down to my waist.

“Who is Blitz, the Cerberus agent Liara mentioned?”

Versio was digging around in the clothes left behind trying to find something else. “No clue, but I don’t want to find out from the first-hand experience. We get in and out, take off and head to Reach.”

She found a long cloak and threw it on over her back. “Liara wanted to see our little friend at the club, but that poses too much of a risk. Instead, she’ll be coming with us.”

“Did you tell her that?”

“No, but she strikes me as an asari that knows to bring her the thing Cerberus is after into a city might not be worth the risk.”

Liara was a smart person, but she was also cautious. I never knew why she was secretive when I first met her. I asked people who worked with her, but they didn’t answer me, leaving me with further questions. It wasn’t until a month after our work with the SSV Normandy that I found out that she was the Shadow Broker, the galaxy’s most powerful information broker. I only knew because Liara herself told me that if I needed anything, I was to contact her for services.

“So is it just me going, or am I getting some backup?”

“Rex and I will be joining you,” Versio said, “these kinds of missions are my specialty.”

Lexi murmured something unintelligible, probably in the limbo state of being awake and being asleep. She tossed onto her other side, bringing the covers over her head. “Need...to run tests on samples...see if the infection has left...”

“On that note,” Iden continued, paying no mind on the babble Lexi was saying, “I’ll have Spartan 400, get us towards the spaceport, then the three of us can head over to the club and pick up your asari.”

I shook my head, unsure on the method of reaching the club in New Oceanside.

“The  _ Nomad _ ’s going to raise red flags, even if we’re only going to be there a few minutes. I don’t want to risk us getting shot down.”

The commander smirked, “Did I say we were landing?”

 

“This city is interesting,” Rex said, looking up to the skyline, “I wouldn’t mind coming here on my next shore leave.”

The three of us, wearing civilian clothes in hopes of not getting spotted by the reported Cerberus agents that were lurking around, walked down a busy sidewalk. Species surrounded us from every part of the galaxy: turian, salarian, drell, and asari were in a clump, waiting for the street light to indicate that it was safe to cross the crowded road. The tall buildings were made out of stone instead of metal, there were no sky cars in the air, and the air smelled clean and salty. On street corners were small stands where vendors called out what they were selling.

“Fresh Levo-amino bread,” I heard one shout, “come get freshly baked Levo-amino acid bread! Going for three credits for a whole baguette! We also have bread for those with dextro-amino acids!”

“Veggies straight from Drakos Ranch! We’ve got carrots, cabbage, and the local favorite: sand radishes! That’s right, sand radishes!”

The hoodie I wore was starting to become uncomfortable in the warm weather. The hat kept the glare from the sun off my face as the shades I had on prevented the reflections from blinding me. To the untrained eye, I appeared as just a stranger who happened to be tall.

Rex, who wore a light jacket, jeans, and an orange shirt, opened the map again to make sure we were going the right way. He was playing the ‘lost tourist’ character without flaw.

“Alright,” he said in a low voice, pointing to a dot on the piece of paper, “we’re about here. We just need to go another block west.”

Iden, sporting a black long-sleeved shirt and pants, a small sun hat, and a pair of big-rimmed sunglasses took a look at the map, doubling checking Rex’s assumptions.

“Hopefully we won’t run into any trouble,” I added, scanning the streets for anyone who had been following us for more than a block. So far, only an old man with a silver plated cane had been on our tail, but he went into a shop that sold spaceship models behind us.

“So far, there hasn’t been anyone who has their eyes on us,” Versio reassured, “but let’s not put our guard down yet.”

She placed a finger to her ear, “Spartan 400, how are we looking?”

Paul had taken the helm of  _ Nomad  _ about an hour ago, dropping us off in a shady back alley near the spaceport for a low profile entrance to the city. It was a tight squeeze getting us in, but with luck, we managed not to crash the ship into any buildings. Now, Paul had the stealth drive on, making the Prowler undetectable both to scanning equipment and to the naked eye.

“Hovering above the transit center,” he said through all of our hidden earpieces, “and no sign of hostiles. You’re clear to proceed, ma’am.”

“Understood, keep in contact just in case we run into trouble.”

The crowd started to move forward; the illuminated sign indicated that is now safe to walk. Some passed us, annoyed that we weren’t moving as fast as they were. One surly looking turian bumped into me, let out a distasteful growl as he walked off. I didn’t get angry or even offended because I had concerns that were larger than a feud with a turian.

“That smell,” Versio said, playing the role as an easily amused tourist, “isn’t it wonderful? My goodness, I didn’t know a scent like that even existed!”

On the streets, we had to blend in with what was found in the city: foreigners. Sidney III brought in a lot of visitors for its natural beauty and stunning ocean towns. Safaris were going around the clock to gaze at the wildlife that was found nowhere else in the galaxy. Due to its popularity, Sidney III had a high price rate for even landing there. The expensive home rates were there to keep any undesirables out; Sidney III was a place for the wealthy. Though, I did wonder, how could May’s adoptive parents, who were quarians, even afford to live here? I would have to ask her about that.

The three of us continued down the sidewalk, passing by stores that sold a variety of things, and those on the streets handing out homemade gifts, then asking for money. A shambly old woman, who was as tall as a volus, came over to me and slipped on a beaded bracelet on my left wrist. As I was about to thank her, she held up her hand and said, “Five credits, please?”

Even the elderly were unrepenting con masters here in New Oceanside. I reluctantly gave her the money for the bracelet I could’ve made by myself if I had free time.

The commander shook her head as we kept walking, not impressed with how I had wasted money.

“You’re gonna get swarmed by other old ladies with their ‘merchandise’ now since you didn’t put up a fight.”

I smirked, “Give me some credit, ma’am. I can handle a few grandmas wanting to sell me stuff.”

Then, like a shark stealthily heading towards its prey, another wrinkled face started coming my way. This one had leather armbands, and she had a bucket full of them.

Rex and Versio saw her too, and we started increasing our pace to outmaneuver the aged fossil. We passed three stores before she backed off. In the city with Cerberus agents waiting to kill us, now we had old women trying to take money from us.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joe, Rex, and Versio work their way into the club, where the search on where Liara could be.

La Vue was a favorite club. Even in the day hours, a huge line that spanned for almost a block was outside. Patrons wanted to get in desperately, even to the point where stood there all day to get inside. Things were looking problematic, as we didn’t have the time to wait in line for hours.

“How are we gonna get inside?” Rex asked, staring in disbelief in the line outside.

The commander, however, didn’t seem the least concerned. She started making her way towards the front door, not even giving care at all the ugly stares she was getting from the line.

“Get in the back of the line!” An asari yelled, full of ire. Judging by her clothes, she wasn’t expecting to stand in the sun all day. At least she’d get a good tan. There were more jeers as we got closer to the front, but the commander continued with unwavering confidence.

When we got to the front door, there was a pair of burly bouncers who wore dark glasses and black uniforms. Versio stood in front of them, and said politely, “I would like to go in, please.”

Rex put a palm up to his face, “This is never going to work.”

One of the bouncers jerked his thumb towards the line. “See that? Get in the back of it and wait for your damn turn like everyone else.”

Versio looked aghast, “But...I was invited here by your boss...she said that...”

The guard crossed his arms, “Look, lady, if my boss knew you were coming, she would’ve said something to us.”

Versio pulled something out of the purse she was carrying and handed it to the bouncer. He swiped it, took a long look at it, then stiffened up.

“Oh, my apologies, Ms. Trivini. I guess Mrs. Fletcher forgot to make a note of you being able to skip the line. You and your friends can go in, and I’ll even see about getting you free drinks at the bar.”

Versio smiled, waving a hand in dismissal, “Oh, don’t you worry about that, dear. Old Fletcher is always forgetful when I tell her I’m coming over.”

The bouncers lifted a velvet rope that blocked the entrance to the club, gesturing to us that we were cleared to go in.

“You have a wonderful afternoon, Ms. Trivini. Please forgive my misunderstanding.”

As we walked into the club, where even outside I could hear the bassline rumbling the building, the patrons still waiting were more than disappointed that we got to go in.

“Commander,” Rex said with amazement, “where did...”

“Our asari friend has got a lot of friends in the right places,” Versio said, swaggering in.

 

Unlike outside, the temperature inside was significantly chillier. It was a relief, possibly to help those who were out in the sun for hours get cooled down so they could do some partying. The main floor, unlike other clubs, was well lit. Patrons could see where they were going, but there was still a booming bass line that rumbled through the floors. The music was a fast tempo as the bass went up and down in frequency. On the far side of the dance floor was a giant window that looked over the bay. That’s where the club got its name: La Vue. Of course, this still being a private location, those inside the building could look outside, but those who weren’t in the club couldn’t peek on the clubbers. It made sense.

“Okay,” Versio said with a raised voice so that we could hear her over the music, “Liara said she’d be by the bar. We’re supposed to order a ‘Pureblood Sip’ from the bartender.”

That was a clever code word. Since asari can mate with any sentient species, asari exclusive pairings were taboo, and the children from those pairings were referred to as ‘Pureblood.’ Liara, having both parents as asari, had fallen into the discrimination but took it with stride. The fact that she even used it as part of the code to signify that we were here showed that she was comfortable with friends and acquaintances to know.

I looked out at the sea of people and saw not just a single bar, but three. One was located right in the center of the main floor, another on the right, and the last one was by the giant window.

“Guess we need to split up,” I concluded, making my voice heard through the noise.

Versio nodded and started directing who was going to which bar.

“Rex, you take the one on the right. Joe, I want you by the window. I’ll take the middle. Whoever meets up with her first needs to let the others know.”

“Got it,” Rex said and headed towards his assigned area. Versio made her way into the crowd of people, and I waded in.

 

The dance floor was cramped to the point where it was impossible not to bump or be bumped into by someone. I had to move through by sidestepping, which got pretty irritating after awhile. Some of the club’s attendants had thought that bringing their drinks with them was a good idea. On my way over, I accidentally ran into a woman who had a long glass of blue liquid in her hand. When we collided, it dropped from her hand, and the drink got all over the floor.

“What the hell, man!” She hollered, giving me a look of sorrow, but also one of fury. “Do you know how much that drink cost me?”

“Whoa,” I exclaimed, “sorry about that! Here, I’ll go get you a new one!”

Luckily, the girl bought the act, letting me continue towards my objective. Hopefully, I wouldn’t be there so long that she would track me down and force me to get her another one. I had already been swindled out of money once today, and I wasn’t interested at all in spending more on a stranger. I needed to keep low because I wasn’t keen on finding out if Cerberus had agents inside La Vue.

After more squeezing through the crowd, I, at last, made it to the bar. The window, the one that gives La Vue its name, was indeed an astonishing sight. In the distance, there were two giant cargo vessels, ferrying goods from other parts of Sidney III. There was a vast bridge the seemed to give a backdrop to the sea. I looked for the bartender, drumming my fingers on the counter, which was sticky from...something. Probably didn’t want to know what it was concerned it this was where people got hammered. A stout man, balding and had a thick beard that seemed to cling to his face, waddled towards me from the other side of the counter.

“Greetings there, sir,” he said with a warm, hospitable voice, “welcome to La Vue. Is there anything I can get you today?”

I nodded, “Yes, I’m in the mood for a Pureblood Sip. Know how to make it?”

The bartender smiled, “A Pureblood, eh? Haven’t made one of those for a while, but I think I can manage. You wait here while I grab the asari vodka.”

The stout man sauntered off, leaving me by myself as I waited for a light blue figure to sit next to me silently. The others who were drinking paid me no mind, more engrossed in what their friends did or a funny little anecdote that had been told thousands of times. Close to my right hand was a small red bowl that was filled to the brim with some nuts. I reached out, taking a handful and bringing them up to my mouth.

“I wouldn’t eat those, if I were you,” someone warned from behind. I knew that voice, so elegant and gentle. Heading the warning, I placed the nuts back into the bowl, dusting my hands to make sure nothing clung onto them.

“Any reason why?” I asked.

“They’re for turians and quarians. You’ll get cramps,” the voice said.

I didn’t even bother turning around; it was Liara.

“Thanks for the heads up. You ready to go?”

Liara made herself seen by placing herself next to me. She was wearing a casual, but modest, outfit: shorts and a long t-shirt with a logo for a favorite brand of electronics.

“Ready as I can be. I’ve spent the last hour here, and I’ve got a massive headache from the music.”

I placed a finger up to my ear, activating my communication piece. “I’ve got Liara, heading out now.”

I jerked my head towards the exit, and the two of us were about to wade in through the crowd again, but before we could, there was a scream. I was about halfway done turning around when a gun went off, cutting through the noise of the club. There were more screams, and a man in front of us dropped to the ground, a pool of red started to form across his shirt. It appeared that we had been caught.


End file.
